Peach Pie

Summer is ending, and I’m trying to take advantage of the last of the summer produce (and I’ll be posting more great end-of-summer recipes the next couple weeks). If you can still find some fresh local peaches at your farmers’ market or grocery store, snatch them up and make this delicious simple pie. Once you have a batch of the perfect pie crust from the recipe I posted Monday waiting in your refrigerator, this pie can be in your oven in 15 minutes.

Peach Pie (adapted from How to Cook Everything)
Yield: 1 8-9 inch pie

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs peaches (6 – 10 peaches), sliced*
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar + extra for sprinkling**
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• a dash nutmeg
• a dash salt
• 1 recipe of the perfect pie crust (or other pie crust of choice)
• 2 Tbsp butter, cut into bits
• milk, as needed

*Ideally, you should be using ripe yellow freestone peaches – while I prefer white peaches for eating because of their delicate, almost floral, flavor, I find that yellow peaches have a stronger flavor that stands up to being baked in a pie, and freestone peaches are just easier for doing a lot of slicing and pitting. A lot of recipes call for peeling the peaches (this can be done by adding the peaches to boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunging them into ice water and rubbing off the skins), but I didn’t bother and I don’t think it’s necessary.
**Adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of your peaches.

Method:

1. Put a baking sheet lined with foil in your oven (this is to catch any drips from the pie), and preheat to 450 degrees.
2. Toss 2 lbs peaches (6 – 10 peaches), sliced with 1 Tbsp lemon juice, then combine with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, a dash nutmeg, and a dash salt, mixing thoroughly.
3. Liberally flour a clean surface, and roll out one disk from 1 recipe of the perfect pie crust (or other pie crust of choice) to a 12″ circle, then gently transfer to the bottom of your pie pan and store in the refrigerator while you roll out the other half for the top crust (if desired, cut into strips to create a lattice top).
4. Take out your prepared pie pan, and pile your peach mixture (making sure to get those extra juices that have seeped out) into the pan. Dot the filling with 2 Tbsp butter, cut into bits.
5. Gently transfer the top crust to the top of the pie (or weave your lattice using the cut strips). Trim any excess crust (you want about 1/2″ overhang) and gently press together the bottom and top crust and then fold the overhang under, crimping around the edges. If you don’t have a lattice crust, cut a few slits into the top crust for venting.
6. Brush the top of the pie with milk, as needed and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40 – 50 minutes or until the pie is golden brown. Cool before serving (I know it’s tempting, but if you cut into the pie while it’s still too warm, your filling will come pouring out).